The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-02-03
THE NAVY REORGANIZATION.
Progress OF Reform In the Department
Notwithstanding Republican Dead
Weights.


Progress OF Reform I'm the Department.,
Notwithstanding Republican Dead
Weights.
In his annual report for 1885 Secre-
tary Whitney called attention to the
difficulties and drawbacks under which
the Navy Department labored. and in
his second report, last year, he again
insisted upon the necessity Of a reor-
ganization Of the department. Con-
gress is now wrestling with the ques-
ton: The bill embodying the substan-
tial points in Mr.. Whitney's report
passed the Naval Committee of the
House with but two dissenting votes
Messrs. Boutelle, IF Maine, and Goff,
of West Virginia-and was warmly
discussed before the House on Thurs
day. The objections by the Maine
Representative and his West Virginia
''me too" are mainly based upon the
ground that what was good enough for
the Navy Department half century
ago should answer now. They do not
believe in new measures or new meth
DDS for that department.. According to
their peculiar line of reasoning the
type Of ships that carried the American
flag fifty years ago would answer all
necessary purposes at the present day.
1t is well that Mr.. Boutelle and Mr..
GoR are in the minority in the report
of the committee on this all-important
subject. They would, doubtless, prove
fitting associates for the "ancient mari
ner"
At a time when Congress has en-
powered the Secretary of the Navy to
undertake the responsible work of Gre
ating navy that is to compare favor
ably with the fleets of other nations,
and is to embody the latest improve
ments and inventions in naval archi-
lecture, it is, to say the least, remark
able for presumably sane member of
Congress to oppose the reorganization
of the department on the ground that
what was designed fifty years since
should answer all contingencies now.
Mr.. Whitney instanced cases in which
the present system was found to be
notably defective. One was where, in
the same year, coal was purchased, by
different paymasters, from the same
persons, on or about the same days,
deliverable at the very same place, of
like quality and character, but at prices
differing from fifty to sixty-five cents a
ton. Another result of the system
was in the case of the Omaha,
repaired wooden vessel, in
capable of fighting or running
away from any modern cruiser.
She was rebuilt under the Chandler
regime at an expense of $4,000,
which would have suficed to build a
modern steel ship of her size with all
modern characteristics. After the
Omaha had been commissioned and
was ready for sea, it appeared that the
several bureaus working Independents
ly upon her had so completely appro-
priated her space that they had left her
coal room for not more than four days
steaming at her full capacity. Each
bureau, too, finds it necessary to main
tain its separate shops in the several
navy yards, each with separate or
ganization. of foremen, quartermen.
leading man, etc., SO that shops doing.
precisely the same class of work-car-.
penter shops and machine shops, for
instance, are commonly duplicated and
sometimes Implicated in the same navy
yard, with corresponding multiplicity
of foremen and organization expenses
"a state of things which, under the
present organization of the depart
ment, it is almost impossible to cor
rect.
The bill now before Congress con-
solidates and puts in efficient working
shape many of the bureaus of the de-
partment, and is also designed to save
great deal of unnecessary expense to
the Government. 1t is fairly and purely
a business proposition to enable the
Secretary of the Navy to carry out the
great work before him with success.
But Mr.. Boutelle, like Mr.. Blaine, from
his State, sees politics in every thing,
even in the reorganization of the Navy
Department. He, probably, thinks it
would be bad Republican politics to let
MIR. Whitney succeed in creating a
navy worthy of our country. Before
he took charge of the department the
Government had expended, in seven
teen years, over $75, 600, 900 on the con-
struction, repair. equipment and ord
nance of vessels, which sum, with a
very slight exception, was substantially
thrown away. During those years the
department drifted along without con-
sideration of what was done and with
no intelligent guidance in any direc-
ton. Failure after failure and the ex-
penditure of vast sums of money,
without appreciable return, were the
results of the ill-advised and inconsid-
crate manner in which important steps
were taken under the present system.
There is little doubt but that the de-
sired reform in the organization of the
Navy Department will be granted by
Congress in spite of the objections of
the ancient mariner from Bangor, or
the ex-ruler of "Uncle Sans navee',
from the banks of the raging Kanawha.
Albany Ar,gus.